Fastener



March 19, 1929. J, F. POWELL- PASTE NER Filed May 2; 1927 anogqnid Patented Mar. 19, 19.29.

JAMES E. POWELL, 0E

ELIN'L- MICHIGAN;

EASTENER.

Application filed. May 2, 1927. Serial No. 188,146.

In my Patent No. 1,598,691, dated September 7, 1926,' there is disclosed a curtain fastener which may be advantageously used in connection with automobiles for securingfone or more curtains to a post carriedby an automobile top body, or other structure.

I now aim to improve the'post-engaging socket and provide a better` construction which. is more simple `and inexpensive to manufacture, and the` construction will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed. This fastener is particularlycharacterized by a novel socket, preferably a twopart socket, attached to the curtain or fabric andy adapted to lreceive the post and, so to speak, center it in the socket. Within the socket are post-engaging means f which` limit the socket to a one-way operation,y that is, the socket can only be lifted in one direction from the post and it is by virtueof such postengaging means that the` socket cannot become accidentally displaced.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein y Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionalview ofthe fasteners; Y f Y Fig. 2 isy a rear elevation of the fastener socket; f 1 Y Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line IH 1H of Fig. 1, showing'a portion of the socket in front elevation;

F ig. 4 is a vertical sectional .view of a fastenerillustrating a modified form;

*Fig 5is a rear elevation of the inner member of the socket shown in Fig. 4;.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View ofthe outer member of the socket shown in either Fig. 1 or Fig.4; y I M Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view'showing the manner in which the socket isattached to a curtain or'fabric;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a fas` tener illustrating another modified form; and Fig. 9 1s a perspectiveview of an outer member of slightly modified form.

Reference will first be had toFigs. 1, 2, 3, G f

and 7 and the reference numeral. 1 denotes a top bow or other support for a post 2 having a head 3 and an annular groove 4. This post is of a conventional form and forms nopart of my inventionother than a member of the fastener'. l Y y The socketin its preferred .form comprises an inner member v-and an outer member 6,l

said members ybeing substantiallyovalor tend somewhat into theouter member.

oblong in elevation. YThe inner member 5 may be, and is here shown as, provided with a pluralityl of slots 7 to receivey malleable tongues or lugs,v 8 carried by the outer member 6, lsaid lugs extending through a curtain or fabric 9 with the lugsbent on to or clenched against the inner member 5, whereby the cur- 1tain will (in the structures illustrated) bev v DELBEET J.: rowEL-L ADMINISTRAToEoF sAin JAMES E. POWELL, DEcEAsED.

sandwiched between the innerand outer meni-y v bers.

'My preferred form of fastener in its simplest embodiment consists of but two pieces A(an inner and an outer member) afliXed to-- gether so as to'grip, the-curtain orthe like sandwiched therebetween. The invention is nou-however, confined to this type of fastener for the inner o r spring carrying member may be placed adjacent the outer member on the i same side ofthe fabric, and suitablyaifiXed' thereto, for example as byv prongs or stitching. VIt will,l of course,.be clear that, if desired, oner ormore perforated Awashers may beinterposcd betweenthe inner and outer members, or adjacent toand on the oppositel side. of the curtain, if the inner and outer members be placed adjacent one another.

The curtain 9 has apost opening 10 and eX- tendingthrough this postr opening into the outer member 6 are resilient portions 11- of the inner member. The resilientportions 11 s are formedby providing the inner member withhapost opening 12 and, radial slits 13 terminating in apertures 14.'. Theslits and aperturesjare in the upper half of the inner member'with one of said slits equi-distant relative to the otherslits, so that the upperV halfof the inner member will be divided and thusv provide the similar resilient vportionsill;

These resilient portions are bentvoutwardly from theplane ofthe inner member andeX- The resilient portions 11 terminate to Vform postv engaging edges .or lips 15 which areadapted to engage. in the groove 4 behind the .post head2). L

The formation of the post opening 12 in the inner member providesv an edge 16, here shown as semi-circular,- for engagement withV the shank 17 of the vpost. and this edge willbind against the postshould an attempt be made toremove the fastener othergthan thev predeterminedl way.

The outer member `.6 haslflangededges 1S Y thatbear against the curtain l,9,.the material. between theseansed. edgesQetrbut-ing t@ Ace the formation of the prongs or lugs 8. rl`he edges are flanged, both for appearance and for the purpose of presenting a flat surface against the fabric to prevent'cutting or shearing of the same when the socket is attached to the fabric. In this way the fabric is preserved and there are no sharp edges to cut it, even though the fasteners be attached by setting tools or machines. The iianged edges in the figures` so far ment-ioned are shown as inturned, but obviously they may be turned outwardly instead, for example, as shown in Fig. 9 hereinafter described. The outer member is the configuration of an-inclosure and may be provided with a post receiving opening 19 which receives the head 3 of the post, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower portion of the outer member has a semi-circular wall 2O coextensive of the lower edge of the post opening 19 and substantially in alinement with the lower edge of the post opening 12 of the inner member. The wall QOis opposite the resilient portions 11 of the inner member and. is sufficiently spaced therefrom to permit the entrance of the socket receiving the post, but only with the resilient portions 11 being somewhat sprungv outwardly into the outer member 6 as the socket is forced over the head 3 of the post so that they spring into engagement with the annular neck of the post. rlhe wall 29 here shown and described as semi-circular need not be semi-circular as long as it presents sumcient surface to the vstud to aid in holding and centering the stud in the socket and opposes the thrust of the resilient portions. y

Greater resiliency may be added to the inner member portions 11 making the same as shown in Figs. i and V. The material between the apertures 14ris bowed,ias at 21 to one side of the plane of the inner member and then the resilient portions struck through the postopening 12 at an angle to the axis of said post opening, so that there will be comparatively straight resilient portions terminating at the edges or lips 15. The socket is removed from the post by pulling outwardly on the lower portion of t-he socket, the wall 20 of the outer member clearing the post head 3 as the lips 15 ride out of the groove fi of the post. 'lhis action might be described as a fulcruming of the engaging edges of the resilient portions on the post as the lower portion of the fastener is swung upwardly and out of engli'agelnent with lthe post; To connect the socket and post, .it is simply necessary to place the socket onthe post and apply the slight but necessary pressure so that the lips Vl5 may sufficiently yield until they drop or snap into the annular groove 4 of the post and the socket assumes a closed position relative to the post. It will be noted that the members 11 are resilient transversely of their length in order to yield sufficiently to allow the head of the post to push by them for engagement,

butthey may be and preferably are substantially rigid or non-resilient to a thrust in the general direction of their length whereby an adverse tip of the post is resisted. Of course the socket as an entirety is comparatively rigid, but there is sufficient flexibility to the curtain or fabric to permit of the socket being liipped off of the post and just as readily returned thereto by insertion of the post plus a slight pressure. Y

As a matter of appearance and finish vthe outer member of the socket vmay have an annular raised portion 22 about the post opening 19, which will place the outer face of the socket somewhat flush with the rounded end of the head 3. Anyway there will ber no protuberances that might otherwise interfere with the manipulation of the fastener.

Referring to Fig. 8, the modified form of fastener here shown has a wall 2O struck up from the inner member linstead of struck down from the outer member 6 as shown in the figures of the drawing heretofore described. rlhe mode of operation is essentially the same in` either construction. ln some soV cases :it has been found. advantageous to make the wall 20 slightly resilient, but this is not essential to a proper working of the device. Fig. 9 as before mentioned illustrates a modified form of outer member having flanged edges 18 bentoutwardly instead of inturned and having prongs bent downwardly from the flanged'edges 18.

The preferred embodiments of my invention have been illustrated, but it is to' be understood that the structural elements are suse ceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

lWhat l claim is 1# 1. A. fastener including a post and socket, said post having head and an annular groove, said socket having inner andA outer members adapted to receive said post, sai-d inner member having a post opening bound-Y ed on one side by a resilient portion adapted to engage in the annular groove in said post, said outer member having the configuration of an enclosure extending to said head, thevouter member having a wall on the other side of said post opening and rin contact with said post adapted to oppose the thrust of said resilient portion on said post.

2. A. 'fastener' as called for in claim 1, and lugs on said outer member adapted to extend through fabric and said inner member to rctain said socket in engagement with the fabric.

3. A fastener as alled for in claim l, wherein the resilient port-ion of the inner member llt! extends into the outer member and has its free `edge in engagement with said post whereby it is adapted to fulcrum on said post as the lower portion of said fastener is swung upwardly out of engagement with said post.

4L. A fastener as called foi' in claim 1,' wherein the resilient portion of the inner` membei` extends into the outerl member and is substantially non-resilient to a thrust in the general direction of its length whereby an adverse tip of said post is resisted.

5. A post socket for a curtain comprising inner and outer members adapted to have a curtain sandwiched therebetween, said members having opposed receiving openings adapted to receive a post and the outer meniber having an additional opening adapted to receive an end of suoli post, the' inner member formed with resilient portions extendingY in proximity to the additional openingv of the` outer member, the outer member being formed with a Wall opposed to the resilient portions and extendingl from said additional opening into proximity to the opposed opening of the inner member.

6. A fastener including a'post and socket,

Vsaid post having a head and an annular on said post.

7. A fastener including apost. and socket, said socket comprising fabric engaging inner and outer members adapted to receive said post,rsaid inner member having a post open# ing'bounded on one sideby a curved edge and v resilient portions adapted to engage in an annular groove in said post, said outer member having the configuration of an inclosure pro-v vided With a post opening and a Walladapted to oppose the thrust. of the resilient portions Y of said inner member.

S. A fastener including a" postand socket, said post having a head andan annular groove, said socket `having inner and outer members adapted to receive said post,l said linner member having a post opening bounded on one side by Vresilientportions adapted to engage in the annular groove in said post, said outer member having the configuration of an inclosure provided With iianged edges, the outer member-.having a Wall on the other side of said post opening and in contact with said post adapted to oppose the thrust of said resilient port-ions on said post.

9. AV fastener including` a post and socket, said post having a head and an annular groove, said socket, having inner and outer members adapted to receive said post, sai-d inner member having a post opening bounded on one side by integral resilient portions adapted to engage in theannular groove in said post, said outer member having the configuration of an inclosure provided With a post opening and flanged prong carrying edges the outer member having a Wall on the other side of said` postopening and in contact With' said v*post adapted to oppose the' thrust of said resilient vportions on said post.

10.v A'fastener including a post and socket,

said Vpost having a head and an annular.

groove, said socket having inner and outer members adapted to receive said post, said inner member havinO' a post opening bounded onone side by resi ientport-ions engaging in K the annular groove in said post, said outer member having the configuration of an enclosure over a considerable portion of said post and provided With apost opening, the outer member having a Wall on the other side of said post opening and incontact With said post adapted to oppose the thrust of said resilientportions on Vsaid post'.

ll.A A fastener including a post and socket, l

said post having a head Vand an annular groove, said socket having .inner and outer Vmembers adapted to receive said post, said inner'member having a vpost opening bounded on oneside by resilient portions integral with saidv inner "member engaging in the annular groove in said post, said outer members havi ing thezcoiifigurationfof an inclosure extend- .ing to lsaid head and provided With a post opening; the outer member having a wall in-` tegraltherewith on the other side of said post.-

- opening and in Contact with said post adapted to oppose the thrust of said.resilient portions on said post. In testimony whereof I aliix t,

JAMES F. POWELL.

my signature. 

